Shadowthorn Book One
by kerezume10
Summary: Hinata and Naruto go on a long mission together to a new village. They bump into some new characters along the way and may just fall for each other. Please Review and I fixed all the problems with the chapters so...please come back and read it, review too
1. A New Beginning

**Chapter One**

Time Period: Just two weeks after the Bikochu arc.

Naruto awoke to the sound of footsteps coming from his kitchen. 'What the hell is that noise.' He thought to himself as he quietly got out of bed. Grabing a kunia he crept softly to where the noise was coming from. He located a shadowy figure standing in his kitchen, he gripped the kunia and through it as hard as he could….

It hit its mark dead on center. No sound came from the figure as he swiftly pulled the kunia from his arm. Naruto charged at the figure but it smoothly doged the tackle. Jumping on top of Naruto it pinned him to the ground.

"Well I must say I'm surprised, I did not expect you to wake up for a few more hours." The voice was very calm with a slight tone of authority."

"What do you mean, who the hell are you!?" a screaming Naruto demanded.

"In good time young one, but for now…"

THUNK…

Naruto awoke on his kitchen floor with an enormous bruise on the back of his head. 'Who the hell was that. Well whoever it was they didn't take anything. But I wonder who could have taken a kunia to the arm and no be phased?' Then Naruto decided it was not worth pondering about.

He put on some clean clothes and went to go roam around the village. Maybe see if Tsunade had any missons for him to do. He began to think about the recent mission with Hinata, Shino, and Kiba. 'I wonder why Hinata acted so strangely around me. Everytime I looked at her she blushed and looked away. Come to think of it she always does that. And when her face was inches from mine at the hospitle she got really red, headbutted me and passed out. But I guess the headbutt part was an accident. Still, I can't help but wonder why she acts this way.'

Naruto suddenly noticed where he was. He was at Tsunade's office.

"Well here I am, might as well go see what Granny Tsunade has for me. As he walked into the room he noticed that he was not the only one looking for a mission. Standing not but two inches away from his face was, of course, Hinata. She, however, did not notice him because she had her back to him facing Tsunade. Tsunade did notice and decided to annouce his presence for whatever reason.

"Oh, hi Naruto, you looking for a mission? I think Hinata here could use some help. I can't possibly send her on by herself. Why don't you help her?"

Hinata slowly turned around while at the same time turning very red.

"Oh hi N-Naurto, I d-didn't see you t-there."

"Umm, hi Hinata, so what is this mission Tsunade is talking about."

"I asked her for a mission and s-she found o-one, a B r-ranked m-mission."

"Oh, sounds cool, sure Tsunade I'll go. If its ok with you Hinata."

"Yes N-Naruto, I would l-love for you to g-go."

"Cool, but, whats the mission about?"

"I was just getting to explaining that to Hinata as you walked in, please sit down you two and listen carefully."

Tsunade then explained that they would be going on a mission by themselves to the Land of Shadows and the Village there, the Village Hidden In the Shadows (duh). Across the sea from the southern coast of Konoha. They would see how the country was doing. To bring them up to speed she explained that the Land of Shadows is just below the Land of Waves. The newly formed Land made a strong alliance with the Leaf Village and they have been sending many Shinobi to them to assist in getting started. Konoha was informed that the Shadow Village is starting a ninja academy and Tsunade is going to send Naruto and Hinata there as diplomats to see how they were doing.

"Sounds cool, I like the sound of that. So how long is this mission going to take." Naruto said in a don't-really-care tone.

"Well, you see, it may take a few weeks, not including the trip there, but…."

"But w-what?" Hinata asked sounding worried by Tsunades tone.

But it will probably take up to six months."

'Six month alone with Naruto, it's a dream come true' Hinata was so red she actually started to glow. She almost yelled out in joy.

'Six whole months, wow, that's longer than any other mission I've been on. I wonder if I'll be able to ask Hinata why she acts so strangely around me.'

"Well, this may seem suddun, but if you two are going on this mission I must inform you that the boat leaves tomorrow at noon. You would have to leave in the next three hours if you plan to get there in time."

"WHAT, no warning, that's not fair. That means we have to get home pack, eat and leave."

"I'm giving you three hours, so don't tell me I'm not giving you enogh time. You have plenty of time to get done what you need to do and get going."

"Three hours to eat, pack enough for that six month possibility."

"Actually, the six months is just an estimate. It could take a lot more than that."

"Thanks for helping me prove my point."

"Three hours will be plenty of time. Be back here together whenever you get ready and I'll give you the boat tickets."

And with that last comment, Hinata and Naruto set off to their houses to pack, eat and get ready for the extended mission. Naruto got all of this done with little trouble, in fact the only trouble he ran into is finding a bad large enogh to hold all of his instant ramen cups. Hinata, however, found trouble in getting her father to accept the fact she was goind on the mission with a boy…alone.

"I do not think you should go. This mission seems piontless and you'll be with that Uzumaki boy, and personally I never liked him."

"But father, I have to go, I told Tsunade that I would go on this mission for her."

"Well ok, its not like your of much use around here anyway."

That one really hit home for Hinata, her father was always talking to her like this. 'Why does he always say these things. Does he know how much it hurts to be talked to like that.'

"Yes father."Hinata said fighting back tears.

"Well you better get going, your already failing your partner in this mission if you don't get there on time."

"Ok, bye."

"Bye."

On her way to Tsunade's office ,Hinata saw Shino tranning. Kiba was not there because he was in the hospital due to Akamaru catching rabies and bitting him in the nuts.She thought she would tell him that she would be giong on an extended mission with Naruto and may not be back for some time.

"Hello Shino"

"Hello Hinata, where are you going?"

"Ummm, I'm going on an extended mission with Naruto to that new Village Hidden In the Shadows. Were going as abassadors to chack on their Ninja program over there. We might be gone for some time."

"How long are we talking about here?"Shino inquired, wondering where this was going.

"Six months, maybe longer."

Shino was a little shocked. "Six months are more, are you sure you can handle it?"

"What do you mean Shino?"

"Well, I know you never told me or Kiba, or anyone else for that matter. But we can all tell that you have an enormous crush on Naruto. The only person who can't tell IS Naruto. Will you be able to handle being with him alone for that long?"

Hinata was very red now and a little shocked that he would bring it up. Its not like she had not thought about it, its just she didn't know enogh to answer his question.

"Ummm, I don't know. I don't know if I will be confident enough to tell him. I want to know how he feels about me, but I just cant tell."

"Well maybe you should tell him first and based on his reaction see how he feels about you. You never know until you try."

"Maybe your right, but until that time comes, goodbye Shino."

"Goodbye Hinata, keep what I said in mind."

"Ok"

And with that Hinata walked the rest of the way to Tsunade's office without futher detours. When she arrived there she noticed Naruto standing there tapping his foot impatiently.

"Where have you been Hinata? I've been waiting here for half an hour."

"S-Sorry Naruto, I d-didn't m-mean to keep you w-waiting."

"Its ok Hinata, I wasn't really mad. I could never be mad at you"

That comment made Hinata blush more so than usual.

"Hey you two, I have you boat tickets here, remember that the boat takes off at noon tomorrow. Don't be late or I will be pissed."

"Calm down Granny Tsunade. Its not like were going to miss the boat. Were top ninja. We don't make mistakes."

Tsunade rolled her eyes and sent them off. Little did anybody know that thay would not come back the same people, or with the same relationship that they currently had. They were about to embark on a journey tha would cause much pain and joy. And of course a little bit of humor.

(Please excuze all spelling errorz from here on out, thank you)

End Of Chapter One 


	2. The Start of a Journey

**Chapter Two**

Naruto and Hinata were just outside the village walls, the trip had benn going well so far. Mostly uneventful, but that was about to soon change. About a half mile out of the village limits, they decided to stop and eat. One because Hinata in all the commosion with her father forgot to eat, and Naruto was always looking for a reason to bust out another ramen cup. They ate with no converation what so ever.

'Why can't I think of anything to say to Naruto. I need to talk to him or he'll keep thinking I'm just some weird girl. I need to think of something to say fast.'

'God, why can't I think of anything to say to Hinata. Maybe now would be a good time to ask her why she always acts so strangely around me.'

"Ummmm, Hinata, I've been meaning to ask you something for awhile now."

"Oh, well ok Naruto, what do you want to ask me?"

"I was wondering why you act so stangely around me. I mean you always look away when I look at you, and your always blushing when I'm near you. I was just wondering whats the deal, I can't figure out why you act this way around me and no one else back in the village."

This was definitly a conversion starter, but not where Hinata wanted the conversation to go. She was always wanted to tell him, but it was too soon. It could ruin the outcome for the rest of the mission. However, she couldn't just lie to him, she needed to find a happy medium.

"Ummm, I a-act t-that w-way b-because, I just w-want to t-tell y-you that…."

Suddenly a horrific screech came from futher back in the woods. Naruto quickly got up to go see what the noise was. 'Thank goodness, that was a close one' Hinata thought as she followed Naruto to go investigate the sound.

'Well its not like I don't want to tell him, I just don't think this is good timing. I will tell him during this mission. I promise myself this.'

'Wow, that was weird, well its not like Hinata has ever acted normal anyway. I will find out why she acts that way. I promise this to myself.'

When they arrived at the area where the sound was coming from, they hid in some nearby trees to get a direct location.

"Hinata, can you use your Byakugan to see what making all that noise?"

"I can try…….Byakugan."

Hinata looked around where the sound was the loudest, then she found a specific area. After a while, she found a target. It was a shrowded figure, unsure if it was male or female. The long cloak it wore made even harder to determine gender. She looked to see if the target would move but it just stood there making the same noise over and over again. Whoever it was they were making the sound through a wistle they were holding.

"I found who's making the sound. Their using a whistle of some sort. I have not seen them move at all."

"Show me where this person is."

Hinata pointed in the direction and Naruto went swiftly and silently as he could. Hinata quickly followed and took up position in a tree close to the person who was making the terrible sound. At this point Hinata was so close she had to cover her ears to focus on what was going on. Hinata thought that her and Naruto were going to sit and wait for the person to make a move. But she was, how you say, wrong. Naruto used his favorite tactic of announce your presence and fight out all your problems. He walked right up behind the person and just stood there hoping the person would notice that they were not alone anymore.

'What is he doing, is he just going to walk right up to him and talk.' Basically, yeah, that was just what he was going to do.

"HEY, what do you think your doing. Your not the only person here ya know, and that sound is getting on my nerves. So would ya cut it out."

The figure slowly turned around until it was facing Naruto. The face was blocked by a mask. The mask was a very deatailed and almost lifelike wolf mask. The mask was, scary, to say the least. It sent a shill down Naruto and Hinata's spine.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here of all places. But then again, I do live company."

'Wait a minute, I know that voice, that's the voice of the guy who broke into my apartment. What the hell is he doing here!'

"Hey, you're the guy who was at my apartment the other night. What the hell do you want."

"What I want. Hmmmm. Haven't really thought about it recently. Until I get a real answer, I'll just have to say it's keeping an eye over you two. I have high hopes for the both of you."The strange man chuckled to himself as he spoke that last part.

'How did he know I was here, has he been watching us. I'm really getting creeped out by him. He seems so, weird, he doesn't act evil he just has a creepy aura about him. I hope Naruto is going to be ok, I should go over there with him just in case anything happens.'

Hinata carefully got out of the tree and walked over to where Naruto was. She stood there and waited fir him to say something. There was a long and strained silence. It was the stranger who decided to break the silence.

"So what are you going to do now? Let me be, or try to take me in? Whatever you decide to do, make your decision quick for I grow very bored with you two."

The mans' tone was very stern and quick to decide, not someone who hesitates to make dicisions.

Naruto whispered into Hinata's ear. "What do you think we should do. I don't know what he wants or if he has any info that would help us with our current mission."

"I agree, we should let him be, he creeps me out and I don't want to find out how strong he is the hard way."

"Ok, whoever you are, we have decided to let you…"Before Naruto could finish he noticed that the man was gone.

"Damn it, where the hell did he go."

"I don't know, I looked upo from talking to you and he wasn't there."

Hinata activated her Byakugan to see if she could locate where the man was, but to no avail. Whoever he was, he was fast, quiet, and not going to be easy to track.

"I can't see anybody out there. He must be really fast."

"Oh well, its not like he was much use in the first place except for slowing us down. We really need to get going or we'll miss the ship."

"Ok, lets hurry and leave before that guy decides to come back."

They continued along the road to the dock where their ship was going to be at. They walked for a few hours with little activity or conversation. They both finally decided that all the silence had to stop.

"So Hinata, why did you ask for this mission in the first place?"He hoped this conversation would lat longer than the other pathetic attempts at talking to her. They always seemed to drift away from conversation.

"Well, I felt like I needed to get away from home for awhile." Her tone was a little stronger than usual, she must have had a good reason.

"Why, are you having trouble at home. I don't mean to butt in, I'm just curious as to why you would want to leave that bad. "

"No, its ok, I just wanted to get away from my father and the whole head-of-the-clan stuff for awhile…."Hinata took a long pause to try and fight back tears. "He makes me feel so worthless, and the worst part is that he's right." Hinata now was on the ground crying very hard, she cried so hard she visibly shook. Naruto had no freakin' clue what to do so he tried his best to comfort her. He wrapped her up in his arms and cradled her.

"Its ok Hinata, no matter what your dad or anyone else thinks, you will never be worthless to me."

Hinata started to calm down and was close to fainting, as close as Naruto was.

'He cares, he doesn't think I'm worthless. He actually believes in me.' Hinata was walking on air she was so happy. He made her feel wanted and loved. Something she was not used to at home. She wanted to tell him so badly how she really felt about him, but she still didn't think the time was right, not yet.

"Thank you Naruto, I feel better."

"You welcome Hinata, and remember, you will never be worthless in my eyes. You'll always matter to me. I've seen what you can do and you're not the person I thought you were. I always thought you were pretty tough ever since you fought Neji, but since that last mission, well, lets just say you're a very strong person. No matter what anyone thinks." Naruto had no clue where these words were coming from, they just seemed to come to him naturally. He couldn't even believe what he was saying. Since when did he feel like this?

Hinata was now blushing bright red, so much that she looked like tomato. She was not embarrassed, she was flattered that he would feel that way about her. Then, in that moment, Hinata felt that he might just feel as strongly about her as she did about him. Her hopes lite up like a match in a oil factory.\

'He cares for me, he might actually share my affection. I need to find out a little more before I'm ready to tell him.'

'Why am I doing this, usually I just say a few encouring words to get someone up on their feet. I have never said this stuff about anyone else. Even Sakura back in the Leaf Village. What is this feeling I get around her now. I've never gotten this way around anyone else. Maybe I should try to get to know her better before I go any futher.' The two stayed in that position staring at each other for a few minutes, until Nartuo snapped out of the daze he was in.

"Hinata, we should be going now, were almost there." Naruto said noticing that he was still holding her. This made Hinata blush even more than she already was.

"Your right, we should hurry."

They continued the rest of the way until they reached the docks. They looked around for a few minutes until they found the ship they would be traviling on.

When they found the ship they both gasped in shock..._to be continued._

End of Chapter Two 


	3. Feelings Unfold

**Chapter Three**

To say the ship was the largest sea craft either of them had ever seen would be a great understatement. The mere size of it sent them both into stand-and-stare mode. It was a luxurious craft made for roughly eight hundred. Even though it looked as though it could fit two thousand. The lower half of the ship was black while the top half was a bright gold. It had red streamers painted along the lower half. It had a long stairway going down to the docks where people were boarding. The stairway had a long red carpet going along it and the people who were getting on were all dressed up.

"Is this really the ship we are supposed to be getting on?" Naruto asked still a little shaken by how big the ship was.

"I guess, it say right here on the ticket dock 15 and that sign says 15."Hinata was a little worried, she couldn't believe that was the ship.

"Well, if this is the ship then we better get on. Naruto had that grin on his face again. Hinata was glad to see he wasn't shocked anymore. He didn't seem to care what the ship was like, only that they did the mission right.

"Man were lucky, a big ship like this. I hope they have ramen. Hinata do you have the tickets?"

"Yes Naruto, there right here in my pocket." Hinata started tapping the pocket on her pants.Do you want me to give you your ticket, or should I just had the man both of them?"

"No thanks, I can get my ticket by myself."

And with that last remark Naruto, without even asking, went elbow deep into Hinata's pocket and started to dig around. Hinata was slouching, she wasn't slouching anymore. She shot upright like lightning and blushed so red she looked like a tomato again. She stared at him but he just kept digging deeper and deeper.

"Ooops, that is defiantly not my ticket."

Hinata's eyes widened as she figured out (and felt) what he had just grabbed, and Naruto's eyes did likewise. He tried to pull his hand out of her pocket but it was to late. Hinata started screaming and her legs started to give way to collapsing. Then Naruto tried to calm her down but it was pointless, she was long gone. (Passed out that is) People were staring and whispering all kinds of stuff… Me, I fell flat on my bottom and started to laugh my ass off. (Yes, I there, how else would I know all this stuff.) But luckily I was not within earshot.

Naruto put his hand back into Hinata's pocket and quickly got the tickets. He then proceeded to pick up Hinata and walk up to the ticket man and handed him the tickets. The man took the tickets and let him go on his way. Naruto carried Hinata to their room and laid Hinata down so he could think about what he did. And when he figured out what that must have looked like, he turned very, very red. And when he figured out what it was he grabbed, he almost passed out too. Finally, after about twenty minutes, Hinata started to regain consciousness. As she woke up she looked around at where she was, the she looked at Naruto. They both blushed deeply as soon as they made eye contact. Naruto felt obligated to say something apologetic.

"Hinata I'm……sorry about what happened earlier."

"Its ok Naruto, its not that big of a deal." Hinata was lying thruogh her teeth, she thought it was a huge deal but she didn't want him to feel bad.

"Really, I thought you would be mad and knock me out like Sukura would have back in the Leaf Village."

"No Naruto, I could never be mad at you."

"Why?"

Oh, great, this is not where the conversation was supposed to be going. Every time they held up on a conversation for more than ten seconds, it always ended up here. Why she liked him so much and why she treated him differently than the other girls. Hinata thought it was high time they got this out of the way. She just did not know how to put it.

So that it didn't sound like she was weird. The last thing she wanted to do was make this an awkward situation, but it seemed unavoidable.

"I can't be mad a-at you b-because, I f-feel too s-stongly about y-you." Hinata had not stuttered this much in awhile, it was getting easier to talk to him because she had been doing it so much lately. But in this case, it was not going to be as easy as usual.

"What do you mean 'feel strongly'? I don't understand what you are trying to say Hinata."

"I m-mean to say……. t-that I c-care for y-you." Hinata was now blushing again, she never thought she would gather up enough courage to tell him. It was taking all of her strength not to pass out, so concentrating on telling him made it even harder.

"Really, I never knew. Well now that you say it, its pretty obvious that you do. Man I'm so stupid, how did I not notice it before. I feel very stupid right know, I cant believe I was so thick headed. Why did you not tell me before, why couldn't you just told me before now? Is there a reason you waited?"

"Yes, I w-wanted to k-know how you felt first. I-if you s-shared my f-feelings or not."

Naruto had no idea how to respond, he had never had to deal with something like this before. He cared for her, so he guessed that he did share her feelings. To what exten though, this is what hung around in his mind for some time. So long that Hinata thought his silence ment he didn't care. She burst into tears and curled up in the bed.

"Whats wrong Hinata?"

"I should h-have n-never t-told you." She was crying so hard Naruto had a hard time understanding her.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because y-you don't f-feel t-that w-way about m-me."

"Yes I do Hinata, that's why I don't understand why you are crying." This one caught Hinata of guard, did she just hear him say what she always wanted to hear. (From him at least)

"Do you mean it? Do you like me the same way I like you?"

"Yes Hinata, the only reason I didn't respond sooner is because I didn't know how to put it."

"So you do…..l-love me?"

"Yes Hinata, I do."

Naruto slowly crawled up next to Hinata and held her like before. He never knew he could feel so stongly about one person. He didn't even know where these emotions were coming from, he never really talked to her. But now he felt like he had known her foever. Hinata got that floating feeling again, she never wanted to be without him again. She felt like she could stay like that forever.

"I love you Naruto

"I love you too Hinata."

The newly formed couple laid together for a good two hours, drifting in and out of consciousness. Until Naruto did something he felt all couples had to do as soon as they got together (mostly through observation of other couples back in leaf, and listening to Jaraiya). He turned Hinata over so that she was facing him. He looked into her eyes for a few minutes, until he started to lean in towards her. She blushed and then did likewise. They both kept leaning towards each other until their lips met. They stayed in that position until the both simultaniously pulled away. They both blushed a little and then Hianta ( big freakin' surprise… seriously it is) leaned in and kissed him again. They both laied wraped up in each other arms until they fell asleep.

Authors Notes:

Holy crap they did it…. Well not 'it' it, I'm saving that scene for later. (He He) But seriously they did it. Not much surprise for me considering I wrote the damn thing, but for you, HOLY SHIT. I mean she actually leaned in for once. Bout time she pulled her own damn weight. Not that I have anything against Hinata, or that I think she weighs a lot. But crap man she just laid a fat and juicy one on him. Well I better go before the monkeys show up and kick my ass for….Oh wait, that's a story for another time. Thanks for reading, you sad, lonely son-of-a-bitch


	4. The Darkness Begins

**Chapter Four**

Back in the Hidden Leaf Village Tsunade tells Jaraiya why she really sent Naruto on this mission. Jaraiya consulted her as to why she sent his pupil on an extended mission without his consent first.

"I still don't understand why he had to go, its not like the Hyuga was incapable on her own."

"I know, but it seemed wrong to send her on this long a mission by herself. I don't think she was incapable, just that it would have been harder on her without him. In addition, Naruto has the Akatsuki on him. It wont be long before they try another abduction attempt."

"I see, well let's hope for the best. If I haven't told you already, I was following the Akatsuki for some time. Monitoring their movement and what the organization is trying to accomplish. To me their motives are still unclear but one thing is for certain. Their main goal is to capture all the tailed-beasts, and the number one on their list is the Kyubi. They also have come across as they type of guys who will not stop until they are either dead or have what they want."

"They sound like a bunch of spoiled children to me, I can't possibly think of what they would do with all those horrible creatures."

"Who knows, according to some information I've gathered even most of the members don't even know the answer to that. Apparently it's a secret only known to the highest members, and it's a well kept secret."

"So, based on your seemingly unsurpassed knowledge on these nutcases. What do you think our Narutos' chances are of staying away long enough for the heat to die down?"

" Honestly, it's a very slim chance. They are relentless in their pursuit for these beasts, and will go through anyone to get them. That's why when I herd you sent him away. I immediately sent someone to go watch over him, the only person I know who can hold his own against the Akatsuki."

"What are you talking about? Why didn't you tell me this? Who is this mystery man that you sound so confident of." Jaraiya chuckled in a madman sort of way, he turned with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Oh, but you shouldn't have to ask Tsunade, for you already know who it is." Tsunade looked at Jaraiya with a confused look. She had no clue what he was talking about.

"What do you mean 'I know who it is'? I need a hint if I'm going to figure it out."

Jaraiya did the same chuckle again, he knew as soon as he started to give the hint it would hit Tsunade like a ton of bricks. This was going to be fun, to see her reaction and the shock on her face.

"He used to be a member of this village, until about a year before the Kyubi struck. He was very talented, reported to be dead many years ago. And most importantly, he was The Fourth's greatest rival."

Tsunade's face turned to complete shock of fear, there was no way he was talking about… No, it wasn't possible, she would not believe him. For Naruto's life she hoped he was joking.

"NO WAY, HE DIED YEARS AGO. I'V HEARD THE STORIES AND I'M TELLING YOU THERE NO FREAKN' WAY."

" And I'm telling you those stories are a load of bullshit. He made those stories up so nobody would go looking for him. He's alive and kickin', just laid back a few years but his strength has not waned."

"If he was still alive, then why didn't he help out when Orochimaru attacked? Why didn't he come here and be Hokage? His strengthh surpasses mine comletly."

"Think about it Tsunade, if he really wanted to be Hokage he could have challenged The Fourth for the title. He's had little idea with what happened here and he probably wouldn't care. I wouldn't blame him, the way this Village treated him. I think him and Naruto will get along great. They both have a lot in common, more so than I think either of them know."

"I just hoped you know what your doing Jaraiya, for the both of us. I don't know what results might come from sending him to the Village Hidden Hidden Shadow. By the way, how the hell did you track him down?"

"I bumped into him while out on a little trip a few months ago, I was doing more research on by newest book when I saw him training. I told him of Naruto and he seemed interested enough. I kept in tact with him in case I ever needed his help. When I told him of the situation and what he might be up against, he just couldn't resist. You know him, he never has and never will back down from a challenge."

"Well sounds like he hasn't changed at all, and he does sound a lot like Naruto. I hope he knows the situation fully."

"Like he would be any less capable, I don't see what your so worried about."

" I'm worried that he might change Naruto and Hinata people who hang around him were never quite the same after they did. They always seemed, demented so to speak, like they suddenly became crazy."

"Its ok, he hasn't changed much but what little he has is for the better. He has regained some sanity from what I can tell. The Fourth may have considered him a rival if they were more alike, but the two of them are so different. But in the same since their differences made them great friends. One of the only friends he ever had. The only time I ever remember seeing him cry was when I told him The Fourth was dead. I broke that to him when I first saw him a few months back. I knew he would be upset but I had no idea him and The Fourth were such close friends."

"I had no idea they were friends at all, they seemed to argue a lot, as well as fight. They didn't seem like the close friends type."

"Well, they were friends in the same since a Naruto and Sasuke. They may not admit it, but the really do consider one another a friend."

The conversation ended and Tsunade went back to her job, while Jaraiya went back to his "research". Meanwhile, there were others conversing about the missing fox boy and Hyuga heiress but lets just say this conversation was a little darker. It was at the Akatsuki Headquarters, somewhere in uncharted territory. There were nine men sitting at a long table. The table was black with red clouds painted all over it. Four men sat on each side, with one man sitting at the end of the table. They were discussing how they were going to get Naruto and how to be discrete about doing it.

"Well first order of business is how were going to track down this boy. It seems that the Leaf Hokage has sent him away on an extended mission in hopes that we will give up the chase." One man spoke sitting on the left side of the table.

"We need to find out where she sent them. If we can figure that out, then there will be no need for long and pointless searches." This man was sitting on the right side, when he looked up his eyes glowed blood red. There was no mistaking the Sharingan. Itachi spoke with swiftness, obviously frustrated with his previous failure.

"Why did you even speak Itachi? It's your fault we even have to go looking for the boy in the first place. You are in no position to be making suggestions." Another man responded, coming from the same side of the table as Itachi's. The man's voice spoke swift and was thunderous.

"Hmph, you want to look me in the eyes and say that." Itachi responded his head not moving from the position it was in; his voice was cold and ominous. There was a long pause until the man sitting at the end of the table decided to have a word with the men.

"You two need to relax, I already have it under control." Then mans voice was smooth and serene. He didn't sound like the kind of guy who would strike you down in an instant, but he was. His malevolence and malice knew no bounds, as he had proven time and time again. The other members of the organization either had great respect of his power, or great dread of it. He had never shown any sign of a temper, but was quick to act when he felt the necessity. His eyes sent shockwaves of horror down the spine. His eyes were cold and showed no signs of empathy or pity. His bitter disposition made him the kind of person whom you feared to be around.

" I took the liberty of calling in a few favors, bearing in mind my need for this

Particular tailed beast is greater than most. I had someone of rich background go to Tsunade and covey to her that the Hokage of the Village Hidden In the Shadow requested ninja to oversee their ninja-training program. She told her that this mission would take some time to carry out, as they wished that their program got off to a strong start. We've had connections in that vicinity for some time who can aid us in our pursuit, if all else fails we know where they are going to be. So if it comes down to that we can just send some of our own. I'm not suggesting that it will come down to that, I'm just saying its best to be prepared. However, if we do have to resort to desperate measures, who should we send?"

"I volunteer for the duty, I need to make up for past blunders." Itachi responded without delay so that no one else could volunteer before he did.

"Ok Itachi, since you seem so enthusiastic about fixing your position in this organization, I'll let you and Kisame go. Only if it comes down to that, understood?"

The two men nodded and the meeting was dismissed, everyone went their own separate ways until further notice from the leader. The leader left the table after everyone else was long gone. He walked to the wall behind his back, did a few hand seals and gently placed his palm against the wall. A door appeared and that man slowly opened it. He entered and began his way down the long and spiraling staircase until he reached a room. The room was filled with scrolls and great weapons; the room was the size of a small stadium. He walked over to the center of the room and sat inside a large circle painted on the ground. The paint was actually his own blood. He did roughly a dozen seals then pressed both palms against the floor. Suddenly a large cloud appeared in front of his face. He spoke some words under his breath and instantly Naruto and Hinata appeared in cloud, they were still curled up together and fast asleep. The man snickered and stood up, the cloud quickly disappeared after he stood.

'So the boy and the Hyuga heiress are together now. Such a good couple, it would be heartbreaking to see them ripped away from one another. Well, if you have a heart that is.' The man chuckled in an insane tone. He then continued to walk over to a nearby fireplace and sit in a large chair.

'This is all going according to plan; there is no potential way to fail. Tsunade and Jaraiya are so naïve to what is going to take place, as is anyone besides me and the other high status members of the Akatsuki. All is going according to plan, but still I cant help but feel that something is out there. Something that has the supremacy to stop me, but what….'

TO BE CONTINUED!!!


	5. The Legend Behind the Mask

**Chapter Five**

It was in the early hours of Sunday morning when Naruto awoke from his long sleep. He noticed Hinata was still resting in his arms, which were now completely numb from loss of blood circulation. He quietly got out of bed and started to move his arms around so they would regain feeling. After a minute or two he had full feeling back and decided he was going to take a bath. However, there was a problem with his bath plan.

'Wait, what if I wake Hinata up when I take my bath. I'll have to think of a way to insure she won't wake up because of me….I got it, I could use some wax from these candles to pulg her ears with so I can't wake her up. Ok all I have to do now is find some candles.'

Lucky for Naruto there were some candles on a small table beside the bed. He pulled some wax from it and worked it around in his hands until he could mold it into earplugs. After he molded the earplugs he tenderly placed them in Hinata's ears. Making sure they were going to stay in there and not fall out. He then walked over to a bathroom take his bath. He put his dirty clothes in the closet where the towels were kept and closed the closet so no one could steal them. Not that he was worried, but with that strange guy breaking into his apartment a few days earlier, he felt is was best to take precautions. While he was in the bath, Hinata woke up. Not from noise, just the way you would normally wake up. Yet she did not feel or notice that her ears were plugged with candle wax. She just assumed that it was really quiet in the room. She looked around and noticed that Naruto was not in the room.

'I wonder where Naruto went. He must have gone to explore the ship, I hope he doesn't get lost on a ship this size. I think I'll go take a bath, I need one after however long I slept.'

Now here is where I mention a few things to put what is happened so far into perspective. Hinata can't hear and she won't see Naruto's clothes because she can take a towel out of the closet when she gets done. A bathhouse is very steamy, and this is no exception. So your perceptive capability is not worth much in this state of affairs, and no, Hinata is not going to turn her Byakugan on. You with me so far….good. The room Naruto is in is a smaller version of a bathhouse, the restroom is a completely different room. Keep in mind the size of this vessel, every room is like a penthouse. So you can well envision how very possible all this is. Ok, now we can get back to the story.

Hinata continued to the small bathhouse, she folded her clothes and placed them on one of the bath's steps. She got in the bath and started to clean herself. Naurto at this moment is right behind her facing the opposite direction. After a minute or so Naruto turned around and sat down and the underwater bench. Hinata, only a few feet away went to turn around as well. But instead of turning around without any problems, she tripped on her own feet and fell right onto Naruto lap in a position that made them face to face. The trip and all the splashing water knocked the wax earplugs out. Both of them paused for a few second to process what just happened. Naruto was waiting for the steam to clear so that he could see what the hell was on his lap, and get the water out of his eyes. Hinata was doing likewise, only she was wondering where she landed and what the hell she was sitting on. When they both got the water out of their eyes and the steam cleared….God Help Us All. They looked right at wach other in complete shock. Hinata went into tomato face mode and Naruto thought that it was time to find out what just happened. Except, he was not qoing to be quiet about it.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" His voice probably woke the whole ship.

"I….was just g-going….t-to take a b…." As expected Hinata passed out, not much of a surprise there.

'Shit this is weird, its probably my fault for plugging her ears up though. I don't know what to do now. Do I leave her her or….. pick her up and take her back into the room?'

It was quiet the problem, Naruto pondered it for a few seconds and decided it was best to take her back. So he lifted her up into his arms (while turning very red) and carried her into the room. He dried her and then dried himself (it must have took a lot of guts to dry her off) He got dressed and then preceded to dress Hinata. After he got her clothes he couldn't help himself, he did his best not to look at her while he dried her off and when he carried her. But now it was high time he gave into temptation. He gazed at her all up and down until he felt he had a good mental image that would stay for awhile (Lucky bastard). He then dressed her while trying not to do anything else perverted.

'Crap, that old pervy sage has rubbed off on me. I'll kill him when we get back for being such a pervert. Still, Hinata has a great body, its not like anything bad came outta that, right?'

Naruto then waited until Hinata woke up before he went anywhere. Besides, he needed to talk to her about what happened, an explain to her why she was dressed. She woke up and they both stared at each for a little while, both of them felt a little lightheaded just at eye contact. Then Hinata decided she was going to start this conversation.

"Naruto, I'm sorry for this morning. I didn't know you were in there, otherwise I would not have gone."

"Its ok Hinata, its not like anything bad came out of it. I…actually, kinda liked it."

Naruto was blushing more than Hinata now, she didn't know how to respond. She decided honest answers were the best way to go from here on out.

"So did I Naruto." They were both blushing deeply now, due to the fact that….well, you should know by now. Then Naruto walked over to Hinata and held her in his arms again. Then they slowly turned to look at each other and went into a deep passionate kiss. The kissed for a food two minutes before they pulled away from lack of breath. Naruto stared into Hinata's eyes for what seemed like a lifetime, then he finally spoke.

"I think we need to go look around the ship a little, you know, to get a feel for where everything is. But I don't think I'm ready to go anywhere besides this floor" His gently whispered into Hinata's ear, causing her to flinch a little. She nodded her head and off they went. Little did either of them know that for hours now they were being watched by the same cloaked man they saw in the woods. He was under a cloaking jutsu and standing up agianst the wall. He walked out from the wall and undid the jutsu. He then walked around and inspected their possesion, not clothes, things like quility of kunia and shuriken. He stayed in that room for some time after he was done with his inspection, sitting in a outsized and soft chair. He stayed there until Hinata and Naruto got back from there short walk aroud the floor. They both were talking when they walked in until they saw the man sitting there. He was wearing a full body black cloak and large black boots with metal tipped ends. His face was covered by that same realistic fox mask, and it still gave the two of them chills. This time he also wore a lrge straw hat. Because of the placement of the mask they couldn't tell if he had hai,r and if he did they couldn't tell how long it was. They both slowly got closer to where he was before any words were spoken. The eccentric man was the first to break the straind silence.

"Well, you two were gone for some time. I hope you weren't doing anything, inappropriate"

"What do you mean by that? And how long have you been in our room?"

Naruto was now yelling quit loudly. Hinata felt it was best not to get in the middle of things, so she tried her best to stay quiet.

"Calm down boy, need I remind you there are other people on this floor who might be trying to sleep. You really need to put other peoples welfare into consideration. Now to answer your questions, what I meant was are you doing anything to each other kids your age shouldn't be doing. To answer your second question, I have been in you room since two hours before you first awakened. Now before you start yelling again, let me first tell you I was sent to watch over and train you two by a good friend." This caught Naruto and Hinata's attention, Hinat then felt it was time she joined in the conversation.

"Who are you talking about? I don't remember Tsunade telling us of any escort." The man snickered and looked up at Hinata.

" That's because Tsunade didn't send me, a man you would know by the name of Jaraiya sent me here to watch over the two of you and train you. However, due to many complications with the fact that the other you are the Hyuga heiress, I had to get some outside help from a woman that not even Jaraiya knows about. She will be here in a few more days when the ship stops to refuel and stock up on supplies." Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing, that pervy sage didn't trust him on his own, now he knew he would diffinitley kill him when they got back.

"Jaraiya sent you to train and watch over us. The tranning part I get, but we don't need a babsitter, were old enough to look out for ourselves ya know."

"Well, he didn't think you were incapable of watching yourselves. He just had some personal issues he needed me to tend to. I can need to make sure you come back to Konoha in…one piece."The man then looked at Naruto and then again at Hinata.

"Well, why do you where that mask, I want to see your face. I don't trust someone who's facial expression I can't see." The man didn't respond for some time, he was obviously thinking over whether or not he should remove his mask. After much deep thought, he cam to a conclusion.

"Ok, since you sound so hell bent on me taking my mask off I will. I might as well get rid of this cloak while I'm at it." The man removed his cloak and slowly pulled the mask off his head.

Naruto and Hinata thought he looked scary before, they had no idea how scary he really looked. His facial features were hard and strong, his chin stuck out to where it was a little more noticeable than the rest of his face. He had claw scars going from the top of his forehead down to his chin, he apparently had been attacked by something awhile back. He had hair that was a a dark silver with white streaks all over. His eyes were black with a four-point star pupil that was red. His body was very muscular with many tattoos all over it. He had on a black shirt that had the pictue of a wolf on the back, the sleeves were cut off at the arms. He wore pants that were very baggy and also black but made of fur, wolf fur to be exact. The man stood about six foot four inches high, and had a very straight posture.

"So, are you happy now that you see what I really look like?"

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors Notes: I think you all are really gonna like this guy, I even would be so bold as to say he should be in the show. But maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself there. The reviews are very much appreciated and I am very thankful for all the hits I am getting. It's all thanks to YOU!! The readers for making this story what it is.**


	6. A Hard Childhood

**Chapter Six**

Naruto and Hinata continued to stare at the man, his appeaence did not sit well with either of them. His look was just too, sinister. They still were not sure if they believed his story. But based on his size and appearance, they didn't want to argue with him about it.

"I know this is a bit much to take in, so I'll let you get your fill before I put my other clothes back on." Naruto wanted to say something, but everything he thought of seemed rude. Hinata didn't want to ask questions for fear that he would kill her, her instincts told her he was not the kind of guy you pissed off. The man looked at their expressions and could tell they wanted to ask a thousand or so questions. He also noticed that they were probably too afraid to say anything, he was used to this by now, thus he wore that cloak and mask. He felt he needed to reassure them that he meant them no harm, because their faces were still skeptical.

"Its ok to ask questions, I'm not here to hurt you, in fact I'm here for the opposite motives. I want you two to trust me completely or else it will make teaching you very difficult. I want this to be as painless for all of us as possible. But you must know there is a few things I don't think either of you are prepared to handle yet. So I may not respond to all of your questions, but I'm not going to harm you for asking them." His voice was very calm and his words seemed heartfelt enough, Naruto decided he was going to ask a few questions.

"First thing I want to know is what's up with the scars on your face?" Naruto scratched the back of his head as he spoke, fearing to offend whomever the hell was in their room. The man gave a half grin in response and Naruto sighed with relief knowing that he didn't irritate the man.

"I was attacked when I was a child by a wolf. I was about five when it happened, it was in the fall, about to be winter in a few days. I was out gathering wood for the fire at my house, I never knew who my parents were so I lived in a small abandoned cottage on the outskirts of Konoha. It was late in the evening and I was very tired from a lot of work I did that day. I had the wood and was just getting ready to head back to my house, about a half-mile away when I herd an earsplitting howl from behind me. I turned around to spot the biggest wolf I've seen to this day, it must have been at least five feet high on all fours. I tried to remain still in hopes it would get fed up and leave me alone. I was tough for my age but not nearly this tough. It came at my like lightning and as fast and as soon as struck I was on my back. My face felt very warm and I could feel blood trickling down my face. I could barley see anything through all the blood, but after a while I saw the wolf's eyes. In that exact moment I felt my eyes burn like hellfire, I blinked and everything looked different. I looked into the wolf's eyes again and it stated to whimper and ran off. I limped home as swiftly as I could but passed out." Naruto couldn't keep quiet any longer, he had to say something. He looked over at Hinata and saw the look of worry on her face.

"What happened, there's no way you could have survived on your own at that point?"

"I was getting to that! We are gonna have to work on your patience boy if you ever hope to become a great shinobi.Now, as I was saying, I passed out and woke up three days later in Konoha Hospital. I had lost a lot of blood and had numerous tubes going into me. I looked around to ask a nurse how I got there and she told me a local ninja just happened to be been patrolling that area and came across my unconscious body. He quickly took me to a nearby Hospital where they helped me and kept me there until I awakened. To this day I have no clue that that ninja was, I wish I did so I could appropriately express my gratitude to them for saving my life. Anyway, I got up and looked into a mirror to see what the damage was and noticed that my eyes had changed, they where black now with these little red four point stars for pupils. I was told it was some kind of bloodline limit that a family had long ago. They also told me that family was said to have been wiped out long ago by some conspiracy. They had no idea any of them were still alive." The man looked at the kids and saw sorrow on both faces, at least they sympathized with him, but its not like he needed their sympathy either.

"So I went into a local library and searched some old scrolls to find out what the hell these new eyes did. And after about six hours worth of searching I found the scroll I was looking for. It described my bloodline limit as being a sort of compound ability." Naruto and Hinata both looked at each other, and then back at the man. Both of them had confused looks on their faces. Naruto spoke up first, wondering just what the hell he meant.

"I'm sorry, did you say a compound ability? I don't really follow you there." The man just shook his head.

"Well then, allow me to elaborate on the situation. I continued reading the scroll and it said that these eyes have multiple abilities. Such as the ability to see past thoughts." Now Naruto was sucked in to this story completely.

"Wait, so you can read minds?" The man shook his head yet again.

"Well, yes and no, it allows me to see thoughts, but not very recent thoughts. Like the earliest I can look back is about three weeks to your first memories. Its good for getting to know people really quick."

"So have you used this ability on us yet?" Hinata asked this one, she seemed nervous to speak, but she did.

"No, not without your consent, I know that there are some things you may not want me to know and I value that opinion. I do not invade the mind of anybody unless the person is a threat to me or I have their approval to do so. I learned long ago that people have information in their minds that I just don't need or desire to know." Hinata gave a little sigh of relief upon hearing this. This morning, even though he may have been in the room, she didn't want him to know everything that happened.

"It also has increased perceptive ability, not to the extent of your Byakugan, but more so than the normal eye. It is activated for when I want to use it or not, but the color and pupil are always there. The scroll said once it has manifested itself in the host, the appearance of it never goes away. Thus the reason I wear that mask."

"But that mask is just as creepy as those eyes, couldn't you think of something nicer to wear?" Naruto didn't yell this time but his voice was still pretty loud. The man thought about what Naruto had asked for a minute then he gave a soft chuckle.

"Well, you could say I have a special connection with wolves. One did give me this scar which activated my eye ability….."

'And so much more' the man thought to himself.

" Wait, you never told us what this ability is called in the first place. Do you even know what it's called?"

"Of course I do, what kind of individual or clan member would that make me if I didn't? The ability is called, Deixogan, and it ran in my families' blood for centuries. I will probably be the person whom the ability dies with. I don't think offspring are an option at this point that I am particularly worried about." The man's voice was filled with blended emotions as he spoke the last part.

"So what else does it do? You said it had multiple abilities and so far you've mentioned two, the Sharingan has two forms as well." Naruto voice was sounding like he didn't believe the man when he said it had multiple abilities.

"Ok smart-ass, the other thing it does is generating illusions, powerful ones at that. The scroll the contained information on the Deixogan that mentioned the children of the clan were born with natural talent as soon as they're Deixogan kicked in. They were able to create genjutsus at a master level, even at a young age such as five. So someone who was a master of the Deixogan could create illusion like you've never seen. The Deixogan was nicknamed "the illusion eye" due to its naturally vast power in genjutsu." Naruto was amazed, but then again, it didn't take much to do that. Hinata on the other hand was stunned, she had herd of this bloodline somewhere before, and if herd was true, then this guy was a force to be reckoned with. For what little she had read from the scrolls back at home, this clan was known for getting a distorted pleasure out of driving their enemies insane from genjutsu.

Then she realized something, he had told the name of his bloodline, but they still did not know his name.

"Umm, sir, sorry to interrupt but you haven't told us your name yet." The man looked as though he had been hit with lightning.

"My sincerest apologies, I do not know where my manners are today. After all this time and sneaking into your room I must have forgot along the way. Allow me to properly introduce myself, my name is Daime Yurasuki, and I am the last of Yurasuki clan." He spoke the words with a proud tone in it, and he didn't seem bothered by the fact that he is the last of his clan. Hinata and Naruto both smiled and said, almost in perfect unison.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Daime Yurasuki."

"The pleasures all mine, and there is no need for you to introduce yourselves. I already know your names. You are Hinata Hyuga, the clan heiress and a hard fighter from what I've heard. I spoke with Kurenai before I left to catch up with you two." Hinata blushed a little about what Kurenai said of her.

"And you are Naruto Uzumaki, a tough fighter and future Hokage from what Jaraiya tells me."

"Really, that old perve said that about me. It doesn't really sound like him to say something nice about me. Well at least he never does to my face." The man started to laugh out loud, and they had never herd him full on laugh before. He had a very evil laugh that gave them chills. Even though it's a mean thing to hope for, they hoped he never laughed again.

"Well, he didn't say it like that word for word. It was more like 'the fool thinks he'll actually get to be Hokage, can you believe that moron.' The man started to laugh again, and Naruto got very red. If he said it once he could say it again.

"I'm gonna kill that purvey sage as soon as I get back." Nobody herd Naruto because Daime was laughing so loud. Hinata hugged Naruto in attempt to clam him down, and surprisingly it worked. After a few seconds longer Daime calmed down enough to were he could talk again.

"Well, I see you two are going out, but I already knew. I think you two look good together, but as an adult I must lay down ground rules. These are the restrictions as to what you can and cannot do. All bases are open with the exception of a home run, if you catch my drift. If you don't that basically means you can go as far as you want. But you cannot go all the way, is this clear or do I need to elaborate more?"

They both blushed deeply and nodded slowly. Hinata almost passed out due to the thoughts that started to cross her mind, again. But hung in there long enough to stay conscious.

"I just felt the need to get that matter out of the way. Now, on the training part, I'm going to teach the both of you a lot. However, the more advanced stuff for women I do not know. So we are going to pick up a friend of mine to help you, Hinata. I'm going to teach you two all kinds of jutsu and my personal type of fighting style. It has many forms that branch off from the basics and the form that would work best with a Hyuga is one I didn't feel the need to look into. But my friend knows this style like the back of her hand and she will be more than happy to help…I hope."

"You hope, you mean you have not even talked to her about it yet?" Hinata spoke up, something she had not been doing for the past hour or so.

"Well, no, the boat will be at the dock for a few hours and that will be more than enough time to convince her to train you. But before I can train you, I need to know how far your skills reach now. So tomorrow, I will wake you up to go and have a short sparring session with me to see how experienced you already are. And don't worry, I will try to take it easy on you two."

Naruto's face glowed with enthusiasm, while Hinata seemed to glow with anxiety.

How will Naruto and Hinata compare to Daime, a seemingly unstoppable force by his own description. And will the mystery women Daime talks about be willing to train Hinata. Is there going to be any more awkward scenes between Naruto and Hinata. You bet you ass there will be. All this and much more in the next chapter.


	7. The Companion

**Chapter Seven**

_Once Daime announced that he would spar with the young ninjas, he left their room and went to his own. He had a lot to ponder. He wanted to see how well they would do in each of the fighting styles: ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. So, he spent much time that day concocting plans as to how he would test each one individually. After much time and debate, he finally decided he would test them individually in each of the three categories and then test both Naruto and Hinata in all three to see how they worked together as a team. Daime checked the clock, which read six. He decided it was time to retire to his bed; he was tired and needed to get up early. Naruto and Hinata, however, were trainning in large gym-like room that no one was using at the time, hoping to get better so they would stand a good chance against Daime. They were practicing with each other, to Hinata's suggestion. (That sounded really dirty)_

Naruto stood on one side of the gym facing Hinata. As she looked up at him, he noticed the worried look on her face she always seemed to get.

"Hey Hinata, are you ok?" He asked. "You look a little troubled."

"I just don't want to fight you. It seems wrong for a couple to fight each other." She replied skiddishly. Naruto figured that was what bothered her.

"It's ok, Hinata. I don't mind. I want you to fight me with all you've got, ok?"

Reluctantly, Hinata nodded and the match began. Naruto made a cross with his fingers, bringing his hands to his chest. Suddenly, there were five Narutos in the gym. Four of them charged and threw kunai. Hinata was able to easily deflect each of them and pull out four kunai of her own. She threw one at each of the clones, hitting only one target. The target quickly turned into a cloud of smoke. The other three Narutos ran right at her. They threw shuriken, which she dodged by jumping over and behind them. She grabbed some shuriken and threw them at the clones and each one hit. The three went up in smoke and was about to turn around, but she was stopped in her tracks. Standing right behind her was Naruto with a kunai to her back.

"Gotcha." He turned the kunai so instead of the point being in her back, it was facing up with the sharp blade edge against her back. He slid closer to her so that his front half was pressed up against her back. The contact caused her to blush bright red again. She had to say something because the silence was too unbearable.

"So… what happens now?" She questioned in a very flirty tone, which made Naruto very blush in return.

"Well, I guess we could…." Naruto trailed off and started to whisper into Hinata's ear. The more he spoke the deeper her blush got. Above them, a man was in the vent listening in on the whole conversation. The fact that Naruto was whispering so he had to put his face closer to the vent was frustrating him. Then he heard the one sound he didn't want to hear; the sound of the bolts giving way. The look on the man's face said: 'Oh, shit. This is going to hurt.' Then, the vent fell out from under him and he fell right on top of the two of them. He rolled off of Naruto and Hinata, dusting himself off as if it were normal to fall out of a vent. They noticed he had a big grin on his face. The man was older than they were; probably by five or six years. His appearance was almost as spooky as Daime's. He was built much like Daime, if not quite as good, and stood at about six one or six two. He looked like he had been in a lot of fights, for his arms were covered in scars. He wore a black shirt that read: 'Iron Maiden' and had Eddy's Picture on it with the sleeves cut off. He was also clad in black jeans and biker boots on, as well as a huge metal chain around his neck. His grin was very creepy too; Not evil looking, but it just looked like a psycho's smile. The two of them looked at each other and then back at the man. They had never seen him before and was a complete stranger. He stepped forward for explanations.

"Look I was just passing by. I Iike you two. You're a funny pair; two polar opposites of each other it seems. You can't seem to shut up and she hardly says a word. You're full of confidence and she has a world-class inferiority complex. I was a spectator to the whole pocket situation on the docks yesterday. That was the funniest thing I've seen in a while. Don't worry. I mean you two no harm, so don't think I'm stalking you to slice you up or anything like that. I was just bored on this long trip and thought I'd find some entertainment: you two. I'm here with Daime and I thought that you two would be fun to hang out with from what he told me. I'm his….."traveling companion" so to speak. As to how we met, that is a story for another time because it takes quite a time to tell" The stranger finished his story, watching the two younger ninja. He could tell Naruto still was not very happy about the situation.

"Well, I still don't trust you."

"As you shouldn't. You haven't had enough time to get to know me, but I hope you will. I think we could be great friends; the three of us. I hoped we would as I need a few to endure this boring trip, seeing as how I'm by myself. I mean, Daime may be with me but he is not much fun. He just sits there and studies scrolls and never wants to actually do anything." Naruto started to lighten up a bit and Hinata actually started to smile.

"Ok. I guess we can get to know each other better. I'm Naruto Uzumaki and this is my girlfriend, Hinata Hyuga." Hinata bowed, deciding to speak.

"Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Oh please, don't call me sir, it makes me feel old. My name is Kerezume Hiatoshi and it's a pleasure to meet the both of you."

"So, Kerezume, what do you want to do? I mean, is there something you would like to do?" Hinata's voice was very quiet but she didn't stutter.

"Well, I was going to ask why you two were training in the first place." Kerezume asked, glancing between the both of them. Naruto figured he would answer this one.  
"We were training for tomorrow. Daime is going to train us, but he needs to know how good we are first, so we were trying to shake off some rust amongst 'other things' I wanted to do with Hinata when you dropped in." Naruto hinted, causing Hinata to blush and Kerezume to raise his eyebrows.

"Oh, I see. I can't believe that Daime would train you two, he was just sent here to protect you. I wonder if he would train me as well, I could use it. I have seen him in action and there are a few things I wish to learn from him."

"Well… he might. You can to convince him only if you can take me and Hinata on in a fight." Naruto grinned confidently. Kerezume was happy to hear this, seeing how easy it would be.

"Ok, and while your at it, Hinata might as well fight me at the same time. Just to make things interesting."

"You got it." The blond agreed. The two younger nins took their place at the end of the gym while Kerezume went on the opposite side. They got in their stances, but he just stood there. "Are you ready Kerezume?" Naruto called from across the floor. He nodded and they all three charged in. Naruto was the first to throw a punch aimed right for Kerezume's face. He ducked and planted his fist in Naruto's gut as he flew overhead, sending him flying back all the way to the other side of the gym. He hit the wall with a force that stunned him for a while. Hinata quickly glanced back at Naruto to make sure he wasn't hurt too bad. It took a lot in her to ignore him when he was possibly hurt. She then turned around and charged in right at Kerezume. She tried a palm to the chest, but he twisted sideways and she missed. He grabbed her arm and spun her around so that she was facing Naruto on the other side of the gym. With her own armed wrapped around her, he picked her up with one hand and flung her at the opposite wall where Naruto was. She went flying and landed right on top of him.

They both looked at him with confused looks and he felt the need to clarify a few things.

"I can see you're a little perplexed by getting beat. Allow me to clear a few things up. Since I can tell you two are ninja, I'll put this into your terminology. You two are genin rank, right?" They both nodded their heads. "Ok, since you two are genin, comparing me to you I would be a Jonin or possibly Anbu Black Ops." This made Naruto a little more frustrated now.

"What?! Why didn't you tell us that before?"

"Because you didn't ask. I thought you two knew that I was older and, therefore, stronger." He shrugged carelessly. They both sighed and shook their heads.  
"No we didn't know that. We didn't even know you were a ninja."

"Actually I'm not. Well I was, but then I quit because they wouldn't pay enough."  
"Well that's nice. Wait until now to tell us all of this."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it meant that much to you. Otherwise, I would have done so. Look, I am way out of your league. You shouldn't be fighting me if you're only genin, especially if you have a sparring match with someone tomorrow. So, I say we call it a day. My room number is 516. When you head for this match tomorrow, be sure to wake me, ok?" They both nodded and the group went their separate ways. Naruto went back to the room with Hinata and Kerezume went to his.

"So, Hinata, what do you think of Kerezume?" Naruto asked curiously. She glanced over at him, a little caught off guard by the question.

"I think he is nice. I don't know much about him, but he seems to be a nice person with good intentions. He also had a very bright and happy personality, unlike Daime. His clothes didn't match his personality, though. That skeleton guy on his shirt was creepy looking. Did you see it was holding that ax thing dripping with blood?"

"Yeah, I agree with everything you said, especially the shirt. That thing will give me nightmares. It had that creepy smile on its face that gave me goose-bumps." They went off onto their room to continue their conversation.

"I also want to know want Village he worked for. I didn't see any kind of band to show what Village he was from. I thought that even if you quit they let you keep the band or gloves or whatever you wore." Hinata continued. She seemed a little too worried about where Kerezume was from, but Naruto didn't push the matter.

"Yeah, I thought so too. Well, maybe we can ask him about it when we see him tomorrow." Naruto assured her. The couple later went to sleep after doing some 'other things'. (No, not what you're thinking. They didn't do "it".) Elsewhere, Kerezume was prepping for the fight tomorrow, getting all of his fighting gear ready. He assumed that since Daime was teaching the other two, he must be fully prepared for the absolute worse he knew Daime was capable of. The two warriors were both very powerful, but as to who was more powerful had never been tested. So, he was getting all of the weapons he used to fight with. He used long scythe with three additional curved blades fused at the opposite end of the main blade. It was about as long as he was tall. (That sounded dirty, too). The metal it was made out of was a unique and extraordinary material. The metal was a shiny black and always cold. Also, it was very light, but cut like no other. He took great pride in his own craftsmanship and knew no one else had a better blade in the world. Also, due to its rare makeup, it was infused with his own body. When he had crafted the blade he infused much of his current chakra into it as well, so it became an extension of him and could do numerous things normal weapons couldn't. For example, when he would do a fire jutsu, he could send the fire out through the scythe instead of his hands or mouth. In addition it could do more damage from a melee attack than most weapons could. The blade had become famous over his lifetime and was feared throughout most countries as well as he was from wielding it. Its name was Shadow Thorn, and it was one of the blades of legend; one of the few non-sword ones anyway. He also carried a mask as well, but not for looks; this mask was part of his tactical arsenal. It covered his whole face and looked like a gas mask. It did filter out gas smoke, but it did so much more. It cloud change the wave lengths of his voice so his voice could turn into a powerful sound weapon, like nails on a chalkboard times fifty. It could also resist most genjutsu or make the genjutsu less potent. And last, but not least, were his special boots. They were metal plated and covered in thick leather so he could sneak around without having to worry about the metal clanging against the ground. He could click a certain part of his boots together and several metal spikes would come out the bottoms. This was good from when you get ready to kick someone who thought there was nothing deadly about the boots. He got his gear ready too, so that he could fight with all his power. He wanted to badly compare himself to Daime, so he was looking forward to tomorrow morning.

To Be Continued… 

Author Notes: For those of you who are wondering I am an Iron Maiden fan and I wanted to integrate a character that "advertised" their band so to speak. I put a lot of my personal life into my stories because it helps me write and really put myself into the story. In fact, Kerezume was originally me in the story until I changed it because it's was just weird for me to put myself that much into the story. I would like to thank my editor Daibond Amazon for correcting my many mistakes and adding a few bits here and there. To all who read this I thank you for the hits and any and all reviews are much appreciated.


	8. The Past of Another Troubled Man

**Chapter Eight**

Kerezume, having finished preparing his weapons and other tatical divices, laid down for a few hours rest. He would have to get up soon to make sure he was ready for the fight. He had spent most of the night preping for this fight, because he hadn't had a tough fight in a long time and he could feel that this one would be well worth it. Even though he normally didn't need to use his weapons, they were fun to fight with. He used most of his weapons in combat only for the pleasure he got from using them. The only exeption to this rule was his scythe, Shadow Thorn. He only used it when it was absolutely necessary. Other than that, most of the weapons were used for the pleasure and the dramatic effect they had on his appearnce. He had been waiting for a good fight for far too long now, in his opinion. It had been far too long since his last one. But that was a completely different story.

_Daime was also awake now and getting cleaned up for the sparring rounds. He had all of his tests running through his mind, checking to make sure the only ways to complete them were the ways he wanted them to do it. He re-played the tests in his mind over and over until he was sure they were what he wanted. Then, he got his gear ready to go. This was going to be one hell of a test for them. Daime was well aware of Kerezume's wish to be trained. He had watched them in the gym as he went to see if Naruto and Hinata were training for tomorrow. He didn't fully trust Kerezume just yet. Even after they had known each other for some time, he still felt something about him that wasn't right. It was perfectly understandable for someone like him, but he wasn't sure why Kerezume wanted to be trained. Something about his name sounded oddly familiar since they day they met, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He knew he'd heard that name somewhere before, something about being gifted at…… Well, he couldn't figure out the rest. He prepared himself for whatever any of the three of them could throw at him. He had a rough idea of what Naruto and Hinata could do based on what he learned from their teachers. But Kerezume was a different story entirely. He had no idea what he would be capable of, so he prepared himself for a tough opponent. He was more worried about the Kyuubi and if it released itself. He was prepared to handle it, but he was still concerned.  
Hinata and Naruto were curled up together on the same bed; they had fallen asleep a few hours ago. They were starting to get to know more about each other, but not everything. Naruto still had yet to tell her about the Kyuubi, because he was afraid of her reaction to him being part demon. It was just something he would have to wait for a good moment to tell. If there was ever a good moment… When they finally woke up, it was about two hours before the sparring match. They bathed (Not together, perve), got dressed, and then they went through their plans about the sparring match and if they would be paired together or tested separate. When they looked back at the clock, there was only ten minutes to get down to the gym where they would be tested. They took each other's hand and started down that way._

Naruto and Hinata walked up to room 516 to get Kerezume for the sparring rounds with Daime. As they approached, they heard noises coming from his room. They figured he was getting ready, so they just waited for him outside. When Kerezume emerged from his room, he looked even more menacing than before. With his mask and boots on, he looked more like a machine than a man. The other thing they noticed was a huge scythe hanging on his back. It caught them a little off guard with its size, but mostly due to it's look. His appearance now was giving them chills just to look at. Naruto just had to comment on his outfit.

"Holy shit! What the hell's up with the outfit? I thought you were creepy before, but now you're just plain evil-looking. Is all that stuff really necessary for you to wear?" Kerezume just stood there for a while before he replied.

"Yes, almost all of the equipment I have on is for combat purposes. However, do not think for a second that any of this is what makes me a good fighter, with the exception of Shadow Thorn, my scythe." He warned, glancing between the two.

"If all that stuff doesn't help you much, then why do you wear it?" Naruto asked in confusion. If it served combat purposes, then it must make him a better fighter. But he had just said that with the exception of that huge scythe it didn't. So what the hell did he wear it for?

"I wear it for what it is doing at the present time; giving both of you chills and terrorizing you. Opponents are more likely to hesitate when stricken with fear. Never underestimate the power of fear. Remember that, Naruto, and you too, Hinata. Just when you begin to doubt your own abilities or the second you say 'I can't.' is the exact moment when you have handed your opponent an easy victory." There was a long and heavy silence after Kerezume finished. After a moment, he decided they had waited long enough.

"Well, you two, I think it's high time we get going. Better not make Daime wait." Naruto and Hinata nodded in agreement and they went off with Kerezume trailing behind. Naruto was ecstatic about getting trained by Daime. Even though he didn't know how strong Daime actually was, he looked tough and that was more than enough for Naruto. Hinata, on the other hand, was still a little shaken by the memories of what Daime looked like. She sensed much pain and suffering in him, but she didn't want to bring it up with Naruto. She felt like something terrible was about to happen and putting Kerezume into the mix didn't make her feel any better. To her, Kerezume was creepier than Daime. She really hoped this woman Daime talked about wouldn't be as scary as him or Kerezume. Why couldn't they run into a happy and optimistic person for once? But she was with Naruto and that thought had always cheered her up. He was the only person she trusted with her life. She had always felt confidant whenever she was near him, but now that confidence never seemed to go away. Even though she still had a shy disposition, her confidence in herself had never been greater. When Naruto was around, she felt like someone actually cared for her and she was right. Naruto never really noticed Hinata until the Chunin exams, but even then he still didn't give her much recognition. It wasn't until the mission with her and Kiba and Shino that he had really noticed what she was made of. He looked at her differently after that. Then he started thinking that maybe he wanted more out of their relationship and that led up to where they were now. Kerezume had noticed the two before they got on the ship. The two of them seemed madly in love with one another and showed unfathomable commitment to each other. In his own way, he was a little jealous. He had never known such love when he was growing up. He was always expected to live up to his father's status as a craftsman and warrior and then he was scorned when he surpassed his father in both. His life was not a happy one. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He was deemed a protégé at age eight when he crafted his first real sword. That sword, of course, was not the greatest of his works, but it was definitely better than most craftsmen could do who had been working all of their lives. This was what had started his persecution. The fact that he, as a child, put many craftsmen out of business. That first sword was a well-crafted guillotine sword that was later used by a man named Zabuza Momochi. His swords and other weapons were famous amongst his village. After that first sword, he crafted six more in short succession. The seven swordsmen who wielded these great weapons became known as the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. When he turned thirteen, his father became disgusted with how much better his son was than himself. He had never expected to be surpassed by his son at such a young age. It made his father extremely resentful. As a kid, he never could understand why his father was always so angry with him. He had told him to do his best and he did. He figured his father would be proud of him, but the opposite was happening instead. At fourteen, he had run away from home and never wanted anything to do with the Mist Village again. Then, he spent most his life a drifter, wandering from village to village picking fights with native shinobi and stealing what he needed to get by. He had a few nasty run-ins with the Anbu Black Ops of the Hidden Leaf Village while he was staying there. But they never seemed much of a match for him. They were disposed of almost as quickly as they showed up. He quickly became known in the Leaf Village as the Consumer of Shadows, because he could disappear with the darkness. Another use for Shadow Thorn; it helped with escapes almost like a teleportation jutsu. He got a reputation for being quick and deadly and he never seemed to hesitate when it came to a fight. The shinobi he fought were astounded by his calculation capabilities and the fact that he seemed to process thoughts and ideas at lightning-fast speeds. He always had a plan for every situation. He may not have been ruthless, but his ability to plan and scheme was unmatched even nowadays. He was sought out by the Leaf Village for recruitment but they couldn't find him. He didn't want to be a ninja ever again after what had happened in the Mist Village. He would fight for fun but would never bend to the orders of another. Something that he thought would have made him a terrible shinobi to start with. Kerezume always was one to resent the ninja because they are authority, and Kerezume never took a shine to authority. He looked upon Naruto and Hinata and hoped that, someday, he would find someone to care for and that would care for him in return. He hoped for the best between Naruto and Hinata. They looked good together and, even though they may have been polar opposites, they looked like they were meant for each other. He suddenly noticed that they were at the gym where Daime was going to spar with them. 'Wow, time goes by fast when you're going through a series of flashbacks. I hate it when I do that' and slightly chuckled at his own thoughts.

Naruto looked at Hinata and noticed the look on her face. He could tell she was worried. He was too, but he didn't let it show. He felt he had to be strong for the both of them.

"Hey, don't worry. We'll get through this together. I won't let anything happen to you, ever, I promise." Naruto had his confident grin on, hoping it would cheer her up. It did. Hinata felt a lot better now, because she felt like they could do anything together.

"Thank you, Naruto. I will try not to mess up and ruin everything." She murmured, glancing away from him.

"Why do you always think you're a burden, Hinata? I like being around you and I don't think you mess up much to start with. You're a strong person when you believe you are." Naruto assured her. Kerezume felt the need to step in.

"Naruto is right, Hinata. The main key to strength is believing in yourself. Naruto and I do, why can't you?" For once in a long time Hinata was stumped. She never knew why she didn't have much self-confidence. She did have more confidence since her and Naruto got together, but it was still not enough. She felt like she had no honest answer. She had to give them some kind of answer, but she was drawing a blank… After much thought, she finally thought of something.

"I never asked myself that question before. I don't know why I am so unsure all the time. It may be that my father was always so ashamed of me, but that's probably just an excuse that I have been using for a long time. I haven't been as much since Naruto and I started dating, but I still act the same in a lot of ways. I'll try to be more confident from now on. Since Naruto's trying so hard, I guess I can too" Naruto had an even bigger smile on his face now. She was finally getting stronger than before. At least they were making progress.

"Hey you two, we still haven't made it into the gym yet. Don't you think we should be going by now? I wouldn't want to wait for you two and I don't think this Daime guy does either." Naruto and Hinata seemed surprised that they had been standing there for so long. The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Naruto took hold of Hinata's hand, and then they pushed open the gym doors. The three of them walked in to see Daime standing in the middle of the room. He still had no expression on his face.

"Well, the three of you are later than I expected."

_To be continued……_


End file.
